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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224583">Near Love and Death Experience</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01'>Okami01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seteth Week 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Seteth Week (Fire Emblem)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:01:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seteth has feelings for Byleth. He can't acknowledge them, there's a war to deal with after all. Prompt- Free Day</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>My Unit | Byleth/Seteth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seteth Week 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Seteth Week Fics</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Near Love and Death Experience</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seteth had been through wars before. He's lost people that he cared about time and time again. He's felt grief and anger many times. It's no different when he loses Byleth. The professor had died trying to help Rhea protect Garreg Mach. Rhea is lost as well. And it's the sting of losing, worrying about finding her, keeping Flayn safe, and fighting against the empire that keeps him going. </p><p>For the past five years, Seteth thought it would be enough. It would have to be. With the Empire's soldiers attacking and laying waste to Fodlan, they need to survive. It's utterly terrifying. </p><p>Until he hears that the Alliance army is gathering back in Garreg Mach. When Seteth gets there, ready to throw himself back into the war and his search, he sees him. Byleth. Standing there with his green hair and relatively blank eyes. Almost as if the last battle they'd fought together hadn't happened. Seteth wonders if he's truly alive. He is, blessedly. He tells them all that he was sleeping. Seteth believes it. That's what happened to Flayn after all.</p><p>He can hardly believe, however, the joy that he feels at having Byleth back. How fast his heartbeats when he looks at the other man. It's silly. Now is hardly the time to be harboring fanciful crushes. He takes his feelings beyond friendship and pushes them down. The love and lust. Useless things that won't help anyone win any war. Friendship, the satisfaction that Byleth was alive, that's all that he needed. It was more than enough. Seteth had to focus so that he could keep Byleth alive this time. </p><p>The war rages on, as did the feelings in Seteth's heart. It was something he needed to ignore but at least it was a pleasant feeling. </p><p>And now, it was a nightmare. They'd been on the battlefield together when Byleth was injured. A cavalier struck him with his lance. Byleth struck back, but he was hurt. The lance hit his side. Blood splattered on the ground. </p><p>Seteth could only watch from the other side of the battlefield as things continued to worsen around them. He barely remembers what happened to his own opponents. Only that he sliced his axe wildly and flew over on his wyvern to Byleth's side as quickly as he can. </p><p>Byleth was on the ground, breathing shallowly Seteth jumped into the mud. He trembled, his voice quaked. He was supposed to be used to this. It was a terrible feeling, he realized. Whether he was used to it or not. </p><p>Thoughts ran through his mind and out of his mouth before he could stop them, as he applied pressure to the wound. " I can't use any faith magic right now. I'm so sorry. Damn it all. Byleth you can't die. Not now. Not like this. I never got to tell you how much I love you."</p><p>Byleth feels warm. His eyes are closed. The sword of the creator is on the ground beside him. Seteth realizes that he just kissed Byleth's knuckles. Dirty and bloody in a way that they never should have had to be.  He also realizes, dully, that Flayn is casting recover. Seteth breathes shakily and he hoists Byleth up onto his wyvern. At the very least, he can get him off of this battlefield. </p><p>It was just some bandits. They weren't that strong. Claude and his army manage to defeat them just fine.</p><p> </p><p>Right now, no matter how Seteth looks at it, Byleth is still laying in an infirmary bed, breathing shallowly. </p><p>Seteth can't bring himself to leave the bed. He tries to read. To do something. But the only thing he can do is think about how sorry he is that this happened. That it never should have happened. Anything can happen in a battle. Death doesn't care who it claims. It just…. why did it have to be him?</p><p>He shakes his head. It hasn't happened yet. He reminds himself as he stays by Byleth's side. He's a fighter and Manuela said he was still alive. </p><p>Seteth hates to hope. He doesn't want to wish. But he wants, desperately, for Byleth to open his eyes and recover from his injuries. </p><p>He prays. Once again tries to take his mind off of their last fight. Images and screams from before fill his head. </p><p>Other visitors come to see Byleth. They ask if Seteth wants a break. He doesn't. He's fine, he insists. More so than Byleth anyway. Unfortunately, sleep claims him. </p><p>He wakes up a few hours later, startled and even more worried than he'd been before. </p><p>Only somehow, Byleth's eyes are open. He's looking around. " Thank heavens," Seteth exclaims before fully processing it. He nearly starts to sob. Jumping out of his chair and smiling. Grabbing onto one of Byleth's hands before he realizes it. </p><p>Byleth smiles. Very quietly, he says. " I'm glad Seteth … I feel the same way, you know." Seteth doesn't know why he's blushing.</p><p>" What are you- Oh."  Until it dawns on him. " I only-" Seteth thinks he should deny it. It would be easy. He could tell Byleth he was only dreaming. He doesn't want to. The feeling he felt when he thought Byleth had been killed. Seteth doesn't want to ever experience that again. Especially without admitting his feelings. </p><p>" Yes, I do love you." The words tumble from his mouth clumsy and without any finesse. Not that Seteth has much romantic charm. Now would be the time to use whatever he has. </p><p>Byleth squeezes his hand and smiles. " I love you too. Next time… Don't wait until I'm dying to share your feelings." He closes his eyes and looks decidedly sad before smiling again. </p><p>" I'm… oh, I'm so sorry. There… won't be a next time, I can assure you that."</p><p>Byleth shakes his head. " Do you want… to kiss again? On a place beside my hand…?"</p><p>Seteth's eyes widen. He hadn't thought Byleth was awake for any of that. He says the first thing that pops into his mind. " Apologies… I yes. More than anything. "</p><p>He kisses Byleth. Hasn't kissed anyone in a while. Has no idea how much pressure to apply or when to stop. Byleth's lips are soft. He hums in contentment. Byleth drags him down and kisses him back. It's hungry and less chaste. Seteth has always wanted the war to end. He hates war, of course. He shouldn't need any more reasons to want it to end but he adds so that he can keep kissing Byleth to the hypothetical list anyway. </p><p>Byleth kisses him back, reaching up and grabbing Seteth's neck. He makes a strange moan that he hasn't heard himself make in quite a long time. It's so warm that for a moment he nearly forgets that.</p><p>" Oh, you- Byleth you're injured you need to rest." He tries to push him back on the bed, gently. Byleth stares at him. He pouts and bites his lip. It's barely an expression and yet it's adorable. </p><p>Which causes Seteth to smile even though he should be upset that he started kissing an injured man in an infirmary bed. </p><p>" I'm fine. It feels really good." Byleth reassures. " We should do more."</p><p>" We can."</p><p>" Right now?"</p><p>" Well… we really shouldn't. I… I can't have you opening up your wounds." Seteth squeezes Byleth's hand. He can't risk losing him again. </p><p> </p><p>Byleth frowns and lets out a little sigh. " The second I can get out of bed I'm going to come into your office and kiss you."</p><p>"Oh…" Seteth can only exclaim. " That sounds very nice, yes."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Seteth Week! Thanks for reading (: This was supposed to be smut but maybe next time, Seteth was too panicked </p><p>@Tavitay on Twitter!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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